The Portland daily press., 1887-02-07
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
A Broken Rail Responsible for the
Terrible Disaster.


CONCORD, N. H., Feb. 5.-The express
train that left Boston at Z o'clock last night
met with terrible accident at Hartford,
on the Central Vermont railroad, about 2.3O
o'clock this morning. The train started
from this city on time, but was detained at
White River Junction, so that it was about
hour and 80 minutes late when it left there.
The train consisted of locomotive. bag
gage. postal, two ordinary and two sleeping
cars, and was running at the usual rate of
speed. About 200 yards south of the end of
the deck bridge broken rail was struck.
The locomotive, baggage and postal car
broke away from the rest of the train, and
passed over the bridge in safety. The rest
of the train was thrown from the rail, and
continued on the roadbed until it came near
the end of the bridge, where 1t ran over the
abutment, all the cars falling into the White
river, some fifty feet below. The gorge at
this point is frightful one, and when the
cars went down there was a terrible crash
As soon IS possible the detached part was
stopped and run back to the scene of the
disaster When those on it arrived, the
screams of the injured and suffering were
came from the neighboring farmhouses.
Soon after help had arrived, it was noticed
that fire had started in the first passenger
coach, and soon the train was ablaze, and
this additional horror was added to the al
ready frightful catastrophe. Those present
were powerless to stop the fire, and while
doing all within their power to rescue the
unfortunate, the rescuers met another and
unexpected obstacle. The heat became so
intense that they were obliged to relinquish
their efforts to save. the suffering, and were
compelled to retreat to place OF safety Tor
themselves, and become unwilling and hor-
rOr-Stricken witnesses OF the
Awful Holocaust.
In addition to this, and to add to the ter
rors and sufferings of the passengers, the
weather was intensely cold, and the heroic
rescuers were hindered thereby in their
work. No water could be obtained with
which to check and extinguish the flames.
The ice was several inches thick ON the riv-
er. and there were no appliances at hand to
raise it. Ira A. Chase of Bristol was at
White River Junction when the news of the
disaster was received. He went to the
wreck on special train. His history of the
accident is as follows The train left White
River Junction late, and the accident is
thought to have occurred at about 2.15 a. m.
A broken rail was discovered some 200 feet
this side of the bridge, but whether this
caused the accident, or wheel was first
broken, is in doubt The locomotive and
baggage and mail cars crossed the bridge in
safety Two passenger coaches, the Boston
| sleeping car Pilgrim and the Springfield
| sleeper st. Albans went off the bridge at the
| end, ON the right hand side, and apparently
| turned bottom side up in the fall. Men living
near by stated that when he got at the scene
| there was no fire except in the forward pas
| senger car, but the flames soon spread to the
other three cars and then to the bridge. Al
were consumed. Twenty-six persons, so fal
| cars which burned. Two of these are under
stood to be Mr.. Wesson, pistol manufacturer
| of Springfield, and the other Ed. Brockle
banks, brakeman, but they died soon after
| The two passenger coaches were well filled
| and every berth in the Boston sleeper wa
| Springfield, making the total numbr of pas
| sengers in the wrecked cars about so. Thi:
will probably make
The Number Of Dead
between so and CO. The bridge was 30 to A
| feet above the water, which was covere,
| with thick ice, making 1t probable thai
death resulted from crushing and burning
rather than from drowning. Several wer
rescued alive but for the flames. Brakeman
| Parker. on the forward end of the first pas
senger car, felt the jar and saved his life b
jumping. He quickly secured team ant
brought the news to Mhite River junction
| name could not be ascertained, passe
through here this afternoon. HE said tn
car was full every berth being occupied. TIL
train was late out of White River Junction
and when it left it had sleeper from Spring
field, besides passenger car attached. II
thinks it must have been about 2.10 a. m
when he was awakened by the quivering Q
the car, as if it was eff the rail. This move
ment he noticed but short time when h
became conscious that the coach ha
zone over the abutment of th
bridge. and was sinking with frightfr
rapidify To add to his CONSERVATION, tn
car turned upside down in its descent, anC
VIII when it struck the ice on the river. the to
crushed in He 0ecaPeS eRertNns Gwsr p5te
in Ds eTtractine himself from the wreck II
was W 81 well " acquainted with the occupant Of tn
upper o r berth, Boston gentleman, and quicl
Was iY as possible set himself at work to reliey
Ills friend. He worked with energy, and b